Electric indicator.



C. VON PBEZ. ELECTRIC INDICATOR. APPLIoATroN FILED 0011.4, 1907.

ymentari Dec. 8,' 1908.

CARL VON PEEZ, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

ELECTRIC INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8,V 1908.

Application led October 4, 1907. Serial No. 395,918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL voN PEEZ, a subject of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, residing at Vienna, Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Indicators, oi' which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in electrically operated indicators more particularly for use in hotels, showing triple and in some cases an increased number of indications and allowing with a single key and circuit arranged in the known manner of calling three or more different persons and of showing on an indicating plate which number and which of the staff has been called.

The accompanying drawing shows an embodiment of the invention as ap lied to a hotel stai indicator, Figure 1 eing a sectional side elevation of the apparatus with the parts in normal position and Fig. 2 a similar view with the parts in the position they assume after operation.

In the circuit 1 of the battery 2 are inserted a key 3 and the electro-magnet coil 4, the armature 5 of said magnet being pivoted at 6. The said armature 5 engages a cutaway part in a plate 14 of sheet metal, wood, cardboard, or the like, said plate being for instance formed as a sector of a circular disk and its cutaway part being provided with teeth 7, 8, 9, 10, l1, 12, and 13. The said plate 14 is pivoted about a shaft 15 and bears indications denoting the persons called, l'or instance waiter, chambermaid, porter as well as an indication identifying the person calling for instance, room number 1, which indications on rotation of the indicationcarrier 14 are visible through an aperture 16 of a cover plate (not shown), the position of this a erture being shown in dotted lines.

So ong as the key 3 is not depressed, the magnet coil 4 remains denergized and the armature 5 engaging below the tooth 7 of the indication-carrier 14 prevents movement of the latter in the direction of the arrow 17, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the key 3 is pressed down, vl'or example in order to call a waiter, the electromagnet is energized and the armature 5 attracted so that it is moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 whereby the plate or indication-carrier 14 is released and rotates in the direction of arrow 17 until the upper end of the armature 5 comes iny contact with the tooth 11. The movement of the indication-carrier is thus again arrested until the electro-magnet is again deenergized whereupon the armature 5 returns toits normal position and allows the tooth l1 to pass so that the plate or indication-carrier 14 can rotate further in the same direction 'as before until its tooth 8 contacts with the The indication-carrier 14 now c -remains in the position shown in Fig. 2, at .which the indication Waiter is visible armature 5.

through the a erture 16.

On further epression of the key 3 the armature 5 is again attracted, that is to say, the same operation takes place as at the first depression described, the armature being removed from the tooth 8 towards the left and the indication-carrier 14 falls until the tooth 12 thereon meets the armature which after the electro magnet isA again denergized swings back towards the right into its normal position, so that the indication-carrier 14 can rotate further until the tooth 9 contacts with the armature so that the indication Chambermaid is now visible through the aperture 16. On the third depression of the key 8 the armature 5 is attracted in a similar manner as before and the plate 14 drops until the end 10 of its cutaway part engages the armature and the indication Porter appears .through the aperture 16.

It might happen for instance, that on the first depression of the key the waiter is called but does not answer the call and a further depression by the person calling takes lace. This second operation of the key wou d not however have the'desired result since the indication-carrier 14 would pass from the position shown in Fig. 2 into that in which the indication Chambermaid appears. In order to prevent this a lock or stop device must be provided by means oi which the further movement of the armature is rendered impossible after the expiration of a short predetermined eriod of time 'following the 'first operation o' the key, so that said armature remains in its normal position, While however beiore the expiration of such time a repeated attraction of the armature for the purpose of continued movement of the indication-carrier 14 is permissible. This can be effected in various Ways, 'for instance, a clockwork 18 can be provided which is released on operation of the key and moves an arm 19 which on such release of the clockwork is moved from its position oi rest,

(Within a fixed time, for instance ten seconds) through an angle of 180 degrees into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which it lies in thepath of a catch 2O on the armature 5 so that on a further depression of the key after expiration of this time attraction of the armature by the electro-magnet and thus further movement of the indicationcarrier 14 is prevented. The preventing of the armature movement can also be effected by electricity for example by arranging on the indication-carrier 14 a closed glass tube 22 rotatable about an axle 21 and containing mercury, said tube having a partition wall 23 provided with a small hole 23a. The said tube lies at its Jfree end on a iixed projection 24, mounted for example on the shaft l5 aforesaid, and its left hand chamber is in communication with two conductors 25 and 26 extending into its interior and connectedv at 28 and 27 respectively to the circuit 1 of the battery 2. On operation of the key the tube 22 moves downwards with the indication-carrier 14 and iinally arrives in the position shown on Fig. 2. rEhe size oi the hole 23a in the partition wall 23 is so calculated that the mercury requires a predetermined time, iior instance 10 seconds, to iiow entirely into the lett hand compartment, so that the tube acts as asand-glass. The mer.- cury then produces in said left hand compartment a conductive connection between the ends of the two conductors 25 and 26', When the key is Vagain depressed current flows from the battery 2 over 28, 25, 26, 27 and through key 3 back to the battery and the electro-magnet, together with its armature 5, and the indication-carrier 14 will remain uniniiuenced.

It' the person called has noticed the signal, he must return the indication-carrier 111 to normal position by any suitable means and with the use of the clockwork 18 an arrangement must also be provided by means of which the arm 19 is also returned to normal position simultaneously With the indicationcarrier.

By providing a larger number of teeth in the indication-carrier a greater number of indications may be given by an increased number of operations ot the key as will be readily understood.

What I claim as' my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An electrically operated indicator comprising in combination a rotatable indicationcarrier having a series of alternately and oppositely positioned teeth, an armature lever adapted to alternately engage opposite teeth of said series, an electro-magnet adapted to attract said armature, a single key, an electric circuit in which said key and electromagnet are inserted, and means for preventing the operation of the armature lever after a predetermined period following an attraction by the armature.

2. An electrically operated indicator comprising in combination an electric circuit, a key and an electro-magnet inserted therein, a rotatable indication-carrier, a series of oppositely and alternately positioned teeth carried thereby, an armature lever adapted to be attracted by said electro-magnet on operation otl the key said lever being adapted to successively engage and release opposite teeth of said series to respectively lock and permit rotation ot said indication-carrier, and means for preventing operation of the armature lever atter a predetermined period following attraction thereof by the armature.

8. An electrically operated indicator comprising in combination a rotatable indication carrier having a series of alternately and oppositely positioned teeth, an armature lever adapted to alternately engage opposite teeth of said series, an electro-magnet adapted to attract said armature, a single key, an electric circuit in which said key and electromagnet are inserted, a receptacle containing a conductive liquid substance and consisting of two chambers in communication by means of a small aperture, said receptacle being supported by the indication carrier and connected to the single battery and electro-magnet circuit by means of wires leading into one of said chambers.

In witness whereof l have signed this speciiication in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL VON PEEZ. 

